What is America’s favorite story? Wouldn’t you have to agree it is those tales that tell of a worst-to-first journey? If America were a princess, with all due respect to Anna and Elsa, it would be Cinderella. America embodies the Cinderella story; America loves the underdogs. Perhaps this is because it is a role that America has played often since its inception. The colonists were underdogs to create their new nation, but they did it. The American astronauts on Apollo 13 were not supposed to make it home, but they did. No one expected the amateur 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to defeat the world-number-one Russian team, but they did. This affection for the underdogs is tied up in a uniquely American ideal: the American Dream.
The phrase seems cliché today, but the United States was the first nation in history to build and pride itself on giving the poor, the down-and-out and the underdogs an opportunity to live their own Cinderella story. However, many people today, on both sides of party lines, would argue that the American Dream is dead. But there is at least one place where the American Dream is alive and well: the National Football League. This begs the question: Can America learn how to foster the American Dream from the NFL?
The NFL is unquestionably the premier sports league in the United States. Baseball once was America’s game, but today the NFL trumps the MLB and all other leagues in attendance, TV deals and overall revenue. There are many reasons for the NFL’s rise, but one is that the NFL embodies the American Dream better than any other sport.
The American Dream is not a creed that states everyone is equally excellent but is an ideal that everyone can be excellent. The NFL cherishes excellence – only 12 of 32 teams make the playoffs. Only excellent teams make the postseason. Other leagues, such as the NBA, MLS and NHL, in which more than half of all teams make the playoffs, don’t prioritize excellence as highly. The NFL celebrates excellence, but still fosters hope that every team has the opportunity to be excellent. Baseball does not offer this as effectively as the NFL. In baseball, it often feels like the Yankees are going to win, because the Yankees win every year. The New York Yankees have won ¼ of all World Series titles. In comparison, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the most successful franchise in football, have won only six of 49 Super Bowls.
The NFL embodies the American Dream. At the beginning of each season, each team feels like they have a chance to make the playoffs, and deservedly so. For 15 years, the playoff team turnover rate in the NFL was 50 percent. Each year, on average, six of the 12 playoff teams from a year before did not make it back, and new teams took their places. For the past five years, the average turnover rate has been five teams per year, still a strong number. The NFL is the American Dream for sports. Each year is not a full-scale revolution: not all of the bad teams become good, and not all of the good teams become bad. But the system of the NFL rewards hard work. Good teams must work hard to stay good, and bad teams that work hard can become good. The numbers show that the NFL is wildly successful at making the American Dream a reality. How do they do it?
Every team in the NFL begins with an equal opportunity. Each team gets 53 roster slots to fill with players. Each team gets the same amount of money to spend on players, thanks to the NFL salary cap. Each team gets a 16-game schedule to prove their mettle, and for teams in the same division, all but two of their opponents are identical, making for an even playing field.
Teams get equal opportunity, but the NFL also leaves room for creativity. The New England Patriots, notoriously one the most creative teams in the NFL, are also one of the most successful. Just as creativity often leads to profit in the private business sector, creativity can lead to victories in the NFL. The Patriots creatively popularized the 2-tight end set, used a fullback as a down-lineman and deflated the footballs (sorry, couldn’t resist) to gain advantages. Poorly performing teams, if they are effectively creative, have the opportunity to rise to the top.
A third characteristic of the NFL is that it does not insure or protect teams against their own bad decisions. The Cleveland Browns have not made the postseason since the 2002 season. Many would argue this is the result of poor management. The Browns have had four head coaches since 2009 and are currently in the market for a fifth. Even worse, the Browns have had 24 different starting quarterbacks since 1999. This conflagration of leadership has resulted in 15 losing seasons in the past 17 years, including eight straight to date. Yet, the NFL does not sweep in and bail out the Browns, offering them more money or an easier schedule with more home games. The NFL lets Cleveland live with its own consequences.
The NFL also doesn’t protect against fortune. Injuries are unlucky, they often occur through no fault of the team but are capable of derailing entire seasons. The Dallas Cowboys this year lost franchise quarterback Tony Romo and standout wide receiver Dez Bryan to injuries. Before these injuries, the Cowboys were a Super Bowl favorite. Today, they hold the number four draft pick and are the worst team in their conference. But the NFL didn’t help out Dallas. Dallas still got their opportunity: 53 roster slots and 16 games. The NFL did not, however, change the rules just to help the unlucky Cowboys.
The NFL has materialized the American Dream primarily through these three characteristics: equal opportunity for all, room for creativity and not insuring the poor decisions or unlucky situations of franchises.
Bringing this thought exercise to a practical end, what does this inform us about the American Dream in the United States as a whole? Can America reevaluate its policies with equal opportunity, creativity and individual responsibility in mind? Will this revive the American Dream? Barriers do arise, however. Practical implementations of these ideals in society will take on varying forms, making it difficult to reach a consensus. In addition, our terms need to be defined (“equal opportunity” means contrasting things for different people).
Finally, a disclaimer on this entire exercise. The NFL is incredibly successful. There’s no denouncing that. But is it fair to compare a consumption-based entertainment industry with the social ideals of a country? If football teams make poor decisions or get unlucky, there is always next year. There is always another chance less than 12 months away to restart and reload. Life does not have this. People get one life; there is no “better luck next time.” So can the NFL even compare to real life?
I believe it can. The American Dream is not flourishing as it once did in this nation. It needs to be revived. After all, what is America if not the land where Cinderella stories come true? The NFL is a microcosm we can learn from. The American Dream can prosper again. So let us learn from the NFL. And let the underdogs dream on, whether that is for a Super Bowl championship or a climb up the American ladder.
